Thermistors which are a resistor type device whose electrical resistivity varies significantly with absolute temperature have found various uses as temperature sensing and temperature measuring devices. Typically prior art thermistors have been formed in the shapes of beads using a ceramic process which requires batch mixing, processing sintering and a great many other processes to obtain a finished product. Some thin film thermistors have been made but these have generally been manufactured using similar processes. Because of all these process steps and the variables associated therewith the characteristics and accuracy of such thermistors is difficult to maintain. In addition thermistors made through these processes tend to be noisy and because of their relatively large mass and the heavy electrodes which are later attached thereto respond rather slowly to temperature changes and have a limited sensitivity. Although relatively small, their size with respect to many present day microcircuits is considered large making it difficult to integrate them with these other circuits. Thus they can only be used as discrete component circuits.
In various applications such as in weather balloons and the like there is a need for a type of thermistor which is extremely light, flexible, and which responds to temperature changes rapidly. Such a thermistor should also be capable of being easily integrated with other circuits. In addition it is desirable that the thermistor be capable of being made to close tolerances and to have characteristics which do not vary from thermistor to thermistor. It is also desirable in thermistors of this type to be able to accurately control the thermistors' characteristics in a simple manner.